New government plans could lead to a housing boom in Darlington and County Durham, aiming to build 1.5 million new homes nationwide.

Local councils must now use standardised methods to assess and plan for housing needs, allowing reductions only in cases of substantial constraints.

Previous changes that had reduced housing supply will now be reversed, and priority will be given to developing brownfield and grey belt land in a move that Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner described as "a radical plan to not only get the homes we desperately need, but also drive the growth, create jobs and breathe life back into towns and cities."

Data for North East authorities highlights an expected increase in housing needs.

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Under the proposed method, the number of homes required annually has nearly doubled from 6,123.08 to 12,202.11. Over recent years, an average of 8,466.32 homes annually have been constructed.

Specifically, County Durham's housing targets are expected to rise significantly from 1,128.80 to 2,209.65 homes/year. The authority is already building 1,572 homes annually.

Meanwhile, Darlington sees an increase of target from 152.22 to 500.24 homes/year.

Currently in Darlington 512 homes are built on average per year, which is slightly higher than the Government's new target.

Like Darlington, current housing development in Middlesbrough is already close to the new requirements.

Other North East councils, such as Northumberland and South Tyneside must significantly boost their housing development to meet the proposed needs.